Alicia Keys: ‘Once I became a mother I knew I was strong’

Alicia Keys believes motherhood has released her inner "aggressive bad a**".

The 35-year-old singer, who has sons Egypt, six, and 22 month old Genesis with her husband Swizz Beats, has admitted being a parent has opened her up to a "new space" where she feels "strong" and "unafraid", and the star has learnt to take the time to "listen" to herself, which she never used to do.

Speaking to Net-A-Porter’s The Edit, the ‘Fallin’ hitmaker – who has recently released her new album ‘Here’ – said: "When you’re first figuring yourself out, you care so much about what people think of you. [But] Lately, I’ve been exploring my relationship with myself. It’s tripping me out!

"I’m in this new place. It’s growth, time, living, feeling and just … being more.

"Once I became a mother I knew I was strong, but not ready to do what I’m doing now. If I had to attribute it to anything, I’d say that it’s taking more time to listen to myself. I never did that before and I think it’s opened up a new space in me; aggressive bad a*s, unafraid, uninhibited, calling it as I see it … And not whatever else I used to be.

"I feel like it’s by design that I’m raising boys; like there’s a reason. I really feel that," she says. "They say that every child learns from their mother – it’s ingrained from babyhood

And the musician has revealed she occasionally treats herself to a massage because she can’t relax and believes she "deserves" the luxury.

The brunette beauty explained: "I don’t relax that well.

"I love me a massage and I do deserve it. I also love meditation, which I got deeply into this past year – it’s changed how I relate to people and music and my kids."